The Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders offer grant funding from the Open Space, Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund for projects for municipalities and qualified non-profits. Please join us for a tutorial on the grant program on January 23 at 6:30 p.m.

The term “Freeholder” can be traced to the colonial period of American history. In New Jersey’s 1776 Constitution, the state vested the power to govern counties in an elected body of “men” who held or owned land outright with no debt or mortgages to be Chosen by their peers. The body was deemed the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Although there is no longer a requirement to own land and all citizens of legal age have the right to vote and hold office, the term Freeholder has endured. New Jersey has 21 Counties, and no two counties are exactly the same. The organization and structure of counties are tailored to fit their communities’ needs and characteristics. In Passaic County’s commission form of government, the Freeholders discharge both the legislative and executive responsibilities of government. The seven member board is headed by a Freeholder Director who is selected to serve a one-year term at the Board’s annual reorganization meeting held in January. Each Freeholder is elected at-large for a staggered 3-year term